Drawwork



Patented Mar. 18, 1941 umrep STATES PATENT OFFICE National Supply Company, Pittsburgh,

Pai, a -co 'rpoI-ation of Pennsylvania Application February 12, 1940, Serial No. 318.513

' 7 Claims. (Cl im-67) This invention relates to releasable clutches of the positive engagement type, and more particularly to a drawworks construction incorporating therein a clutch for the driving of the spooling drum thereof.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a releasable clutch of the positive engagement type for establishing a driving relationship between a driving member and a spooling drum.

Another object'of this invention is to provide a clutch for driving a hoisting drum which is oi the positive engagement type and which is not supported on the driving member or the drum.

Another object of this invention is to provide a releasable clutch for establishing the driving connection between a pair ofrelatively rotateble coaxial members, which clutch includes an annular series of external splines at one end conw. meeting it to one of the members and a set of driving jaws at the other end for releasably eneasing the other member..

Another object of this invention is to provide a releasable clutch of the positive engagement type including a single element mounted upon a drum shaft of a hoisting device together with means for selectively connecting said element ebither-to a driving member or to abraking mem- =Other objects and advantages of this invention it is believed will be apparent from the followin detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation partly in vertical midsection of a portion of a hoisting apparatus or i drawworks embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional end view taken substantially on the line 2--2 of Figure l.

figure 3 is a sectional end view taken substantially on the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, l indicates a drum shaft of a drawworks or other hoisting apparatus. Secured to the drum shaft i is a spooling drum 2 which is held from relative rotation by means of keys 3. The shaft l is 50 supported by bearings 4 and 5 carried upon supports 6 and I. The drum 2 is located between the bearings B and 5. Means are provided for driving the shaft l or the drum 2 and are herein illustrated as including a sprocket 8- journaled 55 upon the shaft 1 providing a slow speed drive and a sprocket 9 likewise journaled On the shaft I and providing a higher speed drive.

Means are provided for clutching the sprocket 8 directly to the drum 2 so that the driving torque is 'not transmitted through the drum 5 shaft I, and. this means includes a clutch ring Ill having clutch jaws it which is secured to the hub of the sprocket t by means of bolts i2. Drive pins l3 are interposed between the hub of the sprocket E and the clutch ring it] 10 to relieve the bolts it of the driving torque.

Interposed upon the shaft l between the hub of the sprocket 8 and the hub M of the hoisting drum 2 is a sleeve l5 which operates to hold the parts in definite spaced relation. Journaled on the sleeve i5 is a clutch ring (6 having complementary clutch jaws ll adapted to engage the clutch jaws ll.

Secured to the flange It of the hoisting drum 2 by means of bolts ill is a driving flange 20. 0 The driving flange is connected with the flange W by means of drivin pins 2! which take the driving torque from the bolts ill. The driving flange 20 has a horizontally extending cylindrical section 22 which extends within an annular recess 23 formed in the clutch ring i6.

Gear teeth 24 and 25 within the annular recess 23 on the exterior of the clutch ring i6 and upon the interior of the cylindrical section 22 provide a spline connection therebetween permitting 3 relative axial movement while maintaining a driving engagement.

A shifter ring 26 is carried upon the clutch ring it and is connected with the shifter lever 27 permitting the clutch ring to be moved in a direction axially of the shaft l to bring jaws II and Ill into engagement.

The cylindrical recess 23 operating in conjunction with the interior of the flange 20 provides an annular lubricant chamber within which lubricant is maintained for lubricating the spline connection. A sealing ring 28 may be provided to prevent lubricant escape.

Mounted upon the supports 29 is a fluid brake 30 which may be of the type shown and described in the De La Mater Patent No. 1,992,911 which is adapted to be releasably connected to the drum shaft l. The brake 3D is supported upon the supports 28 by the housing 3!. Mounted within the housing 31 upon spaced bearings 32 is a shaft 33 5 which carries a brake rotor 34. The shaft is mounted in substantial axial alignment with the shaft i. Means are provided for releasably clutching the drum shaft I either to the sprocket 9 or to the fluid brake shaft 33. This means includes 5;

a clutch mechanism substantially like that here- :ofore described for clutching the sprocket 8 to the drum 2 in that it includes a clutch ring 35 secured to the sprocket 9 by bolts 36 and maintained in driving relation therewith by means of drive pins 31. The clutch ring 38 is journaled upon a sleeve 39 mountli upon the shaft I and held from longitudinal movement therealong by means of the retainer 40.

Interposed between the clutch rings 35 and 38 are the clutch dogs 4! and 42, respectively. The clutch ring 38 is adapted to be shifted in a direction axially of the shaft I by means of a shifter ring 43 operated by a shifting lever 44.

A single, driving hub 45 is provided for conmeeting the shaft I with the clutch ring 38 or with the shaft 33 so that the drum 2 may be driven from the sprocket 9 or so that the brake 33 may be applied to retard rotation of the drum 2. This single driving element 45 includes a sleeve section 46 which is keyed as indicated at 41 to the tapered end section 58 of the shaft I. A retaining plate 49 is secured to the end of the shaft to hold the driving member in position thereon.

Formed integral with the sleeve 36 is a cylindrical housing 50 provided on its interior with the spline teeth 5| adapted to mesh with the exterior spline teeth 52 formed on the clutch ring 38. The cylindrical portion 55 thus extends to within the foreign matter excluding lubricant retaining housing 53 which surrounds the sprocket 9 and insures the maintenance of lubricant required for the effective sliding of the spline gears 5i and 52.

Formed on the opposite end of the driver 65 is an external gear 54 providing an external spline adapted to mesh with the internal spline teeth 55 formed on the interior of the shiftable sleeve 56. The hub 51 is secured by a key 58 upon the tapered end of the shaft 33 and is held from endwise displacement by means of a retaining ring 59 secured to the end of the shaft 33. The hub 51 is formed with an external gear 50 meshmg with the internalspline gear 55 of the sleeve 55. The sleeve 56 is provided with a removable end cap 6| which encircles upon the sleeve section 55- of the driver 45. A stop ring 52 is secured to the hub 51 to limit endwise movement of the shiftable sleeve 55. A shifting ring 63 is provided for shifting the sleeve 56 and a shifting lever M is secured to the shifting ring 53. It will be ob served that the driving member 55 constitutes a single element through which power may be imparted to the drum 2 from the sprocket 9;, or absorbed from the drum 2 by means of the fluid brake 30.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the details herein set forth, but my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A drum shaft assembly including a drum secured upon a shaft, drive means adapted to rotate said assembly including a driving element rotatably mounted on said shaft, a sleeve element non-rotatably fixed on said assembly, said sleeve element being provided with internal spline means extending axially of and encircling a portion of said shaft, a clutch element operatively p0- sitioned between said sleeve element and said driving element and supported independently of either, said clutch element being provided with external spline means adapted to slidably and non-rotatably engage within said internal spline means, cooperating driving jaws on said clutch 'ternal spline teeth extending axially of and encircling a portion of said shaft, a ring removably secured upon the driving element and provided with a plurality of radially extending driving jaws, a clutch element slidably supported with respect to said shaft independently of said driving element and said sleeve element, said clutch element encircling a portion of the shaft and having an annular series of external spline teeth at one end adapted to slidably and non-rotatably engage within said internal spline teeth, a plurality of driving jaws on the other end of said clutch element, and means to shift said clutch element axially of said shaft to bring said jaws into engagement.

3. A drum shaft assembly including a drum secured upon a shaft, drive means adapted to rotate said assembly including a driving element rotatably mounted on said shaft, a sleeve element removably fixed on said assembly in nonrotative relation, said sleeve element being provided with spline means extending axially of and encircling a portion of said'shaft, a clutch element operatively positioned between said sleeve element and said drive means and supported independently of either, said clutch element being provided with cooperating spline means adapted to slidably and non-rotatably engage said first named spline means, a ring re'movably secured on said driving'element, cooperating driving jaws on said clutch element and on said ring, and means to shift said clutch element axially of the shaft to bring said jaws into engagement.

4. A drum shaft assembly including a'drum secured upon a shaft, drive means adapted to rotate said assembly including a driving element rotatably mounted on said shaft, a sleeve element axially spaced from said drive element and nonrotatably fixed on said assembly, one of said elements being provided with an annular series of internal spline teeth extending axially of and encircling a portion of said shaft, the other of said elements being provided with a plurality of radially extending driving jaws, a clutch element positioned between said sleeve element and driving element and supported independently of either, said clutch element encircling a portion of the shaft and having an annular series of external spline teeth at one end adapted to slidably and non-rotatably engage within said internal spline teeth, a plurality of driving jaws on the other end of said clutch element, and means to shift said clutch element axially of said shaft to bring said jaws into engagement.

5. In a hoisting mechanism, the combination of a shaft-having a drum mounted thereon, drive means adapted to rotate said drum including a driving element mounted on said shaft, a sleeve element non-rotatably fixed with respect to said drum and axially spaced from said driving element, one of said elements being provided with an annular series of internal spline teeth extending axially of and encircling a portion of said shaft, the other of said elements being provided with a plurality of radially extending driving jaws, a clutch element positioned between said sleeve element and driving element and supported independently of either, said clutch element encircling a portion of the shaft and having an annular series of external spline teeth at one end adapted to slidably and non-rotatably engage Within said internal spline teeth, a plurality of driving jaws on theother end of said clutch element, and means to shift said clutch element axially of said shaft to bring said jaws into engagement.

6. In a hoisting mechanism, the combination of a drum secured upon a shaft, drive means adapted to rotate said shaft including a driving element rotatably mounted on said shaft, a sleeve element axially spaced from said drive element and non-rotatably fixed on said shaft, one of said elements being provided with a plurality of driving jaws, the other of said elements having an annular projection extending axially of and encircling a portion of the shaft and provided with an annular series of internal spline teeth, a clutch element positioned between said sleeve element and said driving element and provided with an annular series of external spline teeth adapted to cooperatively engage said internal spline teeth, a plurality of driving jaws on said clutch element, means to shift said clutch element axially of the shaft to bring said jaws into engagement, and

means operative irrespective of the relative axial position of said Jaws adapted to exclude foreign matter from said cooperating spline teeth, said means including a closure member associated with said clutch element and adapted 'to overlap said annular projection in telescopic relation.

7. In a hoisting mechanism, the combination of a shaft having a drum mounted thereon, drive means adapted to rotate said drum including a driving element mounted on said shaft, a sleeve element non-rotatably fixed with respect to said drum and axially spaced from said driving element, one of said elements being provided with an annular series of spline teeth extending axially of and encircling a portion of said shaft, the other of said elements being provided with a plurality of radially extending driving jaws, a clutch element positioned between said sleeve element and driving element and supported independently of either, said clutch element encircling a portion of the shaft and having an annular series of spline teeth at one end adapted to slidably and non-rotatably engage within the first said spline teeth, a plurality of driving jaws on theother end of said clutch element, and means to shift said clutch element axially of said shaft to bring said jaws into engagement.

JOHN D. SPALDING. 

